Ultimate Gamers’ Guide to Choosing a VPN: Insights & Comparisons - PCMag

Virtual private networks (VPNs) can be useful software for gamers. While few VPNs promote themselves as gamer-first solutions, the best VPNs offer a host of benefits for an affordable price, including rapid server speeds, location options, streaming support, and the ability to mask your IP address and improve your security.

Also: The best VPNs for iPhone and iPad: Expert tested

First and foremost, you’ll want to find a VPN that will not impact your gaming experience. The best gaming VPNs offer a service without lag or ping issues and hide your location from other players who might think it’s funny to launch denial-of-service attacks or stream snipe you. VPN usage may clash with a game or streaming platform’s terms of service, but VPNs also benefit the modern gamer in many ways.

What is the best gaming VPN right now?

Our pick for the best gaming VPN overall is ExpressVPN , followed closely by NordVPN . ExpressVPN’s speed and stability are consistent, and it performs well with minimal speed loss during intense online gaming sessions. Alternatively, there’s NordVPN, which also provides excellent speeds and a vast server network.

The ZDNET team has been testing VPN software for years . Many of us are keen gamers, and we understand what matters most when we analyze VPN responses to online gaming and streaming . We’ve researched and compared dozens of VPNs, focusing on speed, stability, ping rates, and security. These are the best VPNs for gaming in 2024.

The best VPNs for gaming in 2024

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View now at ExpressVPN

Pros

• Fast and reliable connection
• Works on major platforms
• Transparent privacy policy

Cons

• Costs more than other VPNs
• Limited simultaneous connections

Latest Tests DNS leaks detected, 25% speed loss in 2024 tests

Network 3,000 plus servers in 105 countries

Jurisdiction British Virgin Islands

ExpressVPN

Best gaming VPN overall

ExpressVPN is an extremely popular VPN with an exceptionally large global network of servers and support for numerous devices and platforms.

ExpressVPN is fast, and during our last round of testing, speed loss was recorded as between 6% and 16%. Due to its consistently excellent speeds and ping results, we consider this one of the best VPNs for gaming purposes.

This VPN can take a moment to download, but once installed, it is extremely easy to use and suits both beginners and experienced users. You can pick the VPN’s smart server or your preferred location – of which you can choose from 105 countries – and press Connect. In addition, this VPN has a kill switch that will protect your privacy should your connection unexpectedly drop.

ExpressVPN’s logging policy is clear: It doesn’t keep track of your browsing history, destinations, or sensitive data. It does, however, log some information for troubleshooting and technical support. Customers say this VPN provides value for money and is backed by solid customer support.

You can opt for a one-year connection for $6.67 per month (including three months free), six months for $9.99 per month, or one month of access for $12.95. Annual plans also come with free Backblaze cloud backup.

Also: Our ExpressVPN review

ExpressVPN f eatures: **Simultaneous Connections: Up to eight devices | Kill Switch: Yes | Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebooks, and Apple TV (see the full list here ) | Logging: No browsing logs, some connection logs | Countries: 105 | Money-back guarantee: 30 days | Trial: seven days on Android and iOS

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View now at NordVPN

Pros

• Great speeds
• Excellent server network
• User-friendly

Cons

• Advanced plans are expensive

Price $13 for one month of access, $69 for the first year with an extra 3 months or $100 for the first two years with an extra 3 months (one- and two-year plans renew at $90 per year)

Latest tests No leaks detected, 11% speed loss in 2024 tests

Network 6,300-plus servers in 111 countries

Jurisdiction Panama

NordVPN

Best gaming VPN for speed

NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs that ZDNET has tested, which makes it a top VPN for all purposes, including gaming.

In our most recent tests, NordVPN only reduced speeds by 7% to 32%, and it maintained fast connection times with solid ping speeds. The speed and performance of NordVPN helped push it to second place in our best VPNs for gaming list. The only reason this is not the top contender is that ExpressVPN performed marginally better when we tested resource-intensive games.

NordVPN offers customers more than just a basic VPN. It is suitable for gaming, supports P2P file sharing, and has a Double VPN feature that adds a second layer of encryption to your connection. Additional features are also available to purchase, including a data breach scanner, password manager, dedicated IP address, and encrypted cloud storage.

Customers call this VPN a great all-rounder and applaud the support team.

Plans begin at $3.59 per month on a two-year plan, with three months of free access. One-year contracts start at $4.99 per month, whereas if you want one month of access, you can pay $12.99. You can try out the service risk-free for 30 days and get a full refund if it’s not a good fit for you.

Also: Our NordVPN review

NordVPN f eatures: **Simultaneous Connections: 10 | Kill Switch: Yes | Platforms: Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Android TV, Apple TV, Chrome, and Firefox | Logging: None, except billing data | Countries: 111 | Servers: 6,200+ | Money-back guarantee : 30 days | Trial: seven days on Android

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View now at Surfshark

Pros

• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Wide range of useful features
• Available on all major platforms

Cons

• Average speeds

Price $11 per month, $48 for the first year (or $59.54 for 2yrs)

Latest Tests No leaks detected, 17% speed loss in 2023 tests

Network 3,200-plus servers in 100 countries

Jurisdiction Netherlands

Surfshark

Best gaming VPN for value

Surfshark is a great deal at just over two bucks a month for a two-year subscription. It remains one of our favorite options, providing value for money and reasonable service. You also get unlimited connections, so a single plan can cover every compatible device you have.

Surfshark is secure, but its performance can lag behind other VPNs in the market, which doesn’t make it the best choice for intense gaming sessions where speed and responsiveness are key. In ZDNET’s recent tests, it reduced speeds by between 2% and 65%. It did have fast connections and reasonable ping speeds, so it’s worth trying out for yourself. You may find that this VPN is still adequate for your needs for the price point.

Also: Surfshark VPN review

Surfshark’s plans start at only $2.19 per month on a two-year plan and are consistently affordable. As a bonus, three months of free access will be added to the length of your contract. You will also be given three months of free service on annual plans, which start at $2.99 per month. Customers say that support is top-notch and cancellation is an easy process.

Surfshark also has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you’ll have a month to test it.

Surfshark VPN f eatures: **Simultaneous Connections: Unlimited | Kill Switch: Yes | Platforms: Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, Firefox, and Android TV | Logging: None, except billing data | Countries: 100 | Servers: 3,200+ | Money-back guarantee: 30 days | Trial: seven days on Android, iOS, and macOS

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View now at IPVanish VPN

Pros

• Affordable
• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Highly configurable

Cons

• Bland user interface

Price $12 a month or $54 for the first year (then $90 annually)

Latest tests No leaks detected, 26% speed loss in 2023 tests

Network 2,000-plus servers in 75-plus locations across 52 countries

Jurisdiction United States

IPVanish

Best gaming VPN for configuration

IPVanish’s user interface does need improvement, but its strength lies in how much you can tailor and configure your experience.

If you want to fully customize your VPN for gaming, IPVanish is the best option. You can select between a wide range of options and configurations, including the active protocol you want to use – such as Wireguard or IPSec – setting up OpenVPN ports, enabling leak protection, and more. You can also filter servers based on locations and latency.

These features can be valuable when gaming as they allow you to choose the optimal server based on your location and needs. During recent speed tests, IPVanish lagged behind some competitors, but many customers still applaud this service as a solid, nuts-and-bolts VPN.

Review: IPVanish: A VPN with a wealth of options

IPVanish offers a discounted plan for $2.19 per month if you commit to two years. This increases to $2.79 per month for a yearly plan and $12.99 for one month.

IPVanish VPN features: Servers: 2,000+, 75+ locations | Simultaneous connections: Unlimited | Kill switch: Yes | Platforms: Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV, Android TV, Chrome, and Apple TV | Logging: No activity logs | Money-back guarantee: 30 days | Trial: seven days on Android and iOS

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View now at Private Internet Access VPN

Pros

• Open source
• Reasonably priced
• Solid performance across multiple operating systems

Cons

• Some servers can be slow

Latest Tests No leaks detected, 49% speed loss in 2024 tests

Network 35,000 servers in 91 countries

Jurisdiction United States

Price $40 per year or $12 per month (3-year plans available at $79 every three years)

Private Internet Access

Best gaming VPN for security

Private Internet Access is an excellent option if you need a long-term gaming VPN that can support multiple devices simultaneously, and securely.

Because it is open source, its code is available for examination by third parties, making it a great option for security and transparency. There is also a strict no-logs policy.

A range of additional features are available, including an email breach monitor. What we really like about Private Internet Access as a gaming VPN is found under server selection – each server option displays the latency, which gives you an understanding of which servers are best for your gaming session.

Review: Private Internet Access

Still, speed loss ranged from 3% to 57% in our latest tests. Despite this, connecting is quick, and the worst speed loss was recorded in far-flung servers, which is understandable.

Private Internet Access offers a range of plans, including a two-year subscription for $2.19 per month. If you want to try out the VPN for a shorter time period, you can sign up for $7.50 per month for six months – or you can spend $11.99 for one month of access. The best deal is the two-year subscription, as you are also given free access for two months.

Private Internet Access VPN f eatures: **Simultaneous Connections: Unlimited | Kill Switch: Yes | Platforms: Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Apple TV, and gaming consoles | Logging: No-logs policy | Countries: 91, 140 locations | Money-back guarantee: 30 days | Trial: seven days on Android and iOS

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Gaming VPNs, compared

Best VPN for gaming	Price	Countries/Server locations	Simultaneous connections
ExpressVPN	$6.67 per month with a one-year plan and three free months	105	8
NordVPN	$3.59 per month with a two-year plan and three free months	111	10
Surfshark	$2.19 per month with a two-year plan and three free months	100	Unlimited
IPVanish	$2.19 per month with a two-year plan	75+	Unlimited
Private Internet Access	$2.19 per month with a two-year plan and two free months	91	Unlimited

What is a gaming VPN service and why should you use one?

A gaming VPN service creates an encrypted tunnel between the device you are gaming on and the internet. Gaming-ready VPNs offer enhanced security and the option to disguise your IP address, which is especially important if you are concerned about stream sniping or DoS attacks. If your internet service provider employs activity-based speed and traffic throttling, a VPN may also help you bypass such restrictions, as the ISP won’t be able to see what you are doing.

Full transparency: There are cons to using a gaming VPN

VPNs give you a level of security and privacy, but there are downsides to using a VPN while you’re gaming. VPNs, by their nature, will often reduce speeds by up to 20% – and potentially far more when you connect to far-away servers – as they encrypt and reroute traffic. These extra steps can also impact your latency, ping, and response rates, which can make all the difference if you are involved in competitive gaming.

Given the downsides, is a VPN for gaming worth it?

Unless you are a consistent target of internet trolls trying to track you down through your IP address, we don’t think it is worth purchasing a VPN purely for gaming purposes. Typically, a gaming VPN will only protect your privacy on devices with native support – such as PCs and mobile devices – and if you want to use a VPN on a console, you will likely need a router with VPN support, or you will have to configure your existing router, which can be a complicated process.

If you plan to use a VPN to also protect your day-to-day activities, for streaming purposes, and for travel, we would still recommend signing up for one. A VPN is able to give you blanket security coverage, reducing the likelihood of being tracked online and giving you the option to shift to different locations, which can be useful in various scenarios.

Also: The best travel VPNs

How to use a VPN for gaming on your PC or console

Charlie Osborne | ZDNET

Using a VPN for PC or mobile gaming starts with downloading your favorite VPN and running the installer. For this example, we’re installing IPVanish on a Windows-based Lenovo laptop. You may need to provide permission for the installation software to finish.

Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Next, sign in using your VPN account credentials or a device authorization code. Your VPN will now be active, and you can select the country server you want, change any further settings, and more. When your VPN is active, and you start up your online game, your connection should be protected.

Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

The same installation principles apply when you play a game on your smartphone. Simply head over to the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store, download your VPN app, follow the installation process, and connect.

Setting up a VPN on your gaming console, however, is not as straightforward. The easiest way is to use a VPN-enabled router that ensures blanket VPN coverage across all of your devices. Some routers will offer VPN support, while others you will have to configure manually, depending on the VPN service you are subscribed to and your router model. Alternatively, you can force your console to share the internet connection of a PC running your favorite VPN.

If the second option appeals to you, connect both devices via an Ethernet cable, head into PC network settings, ensure you are connecting via Ethernet, and allow other devices to share the PC connection. You will also need to change the favored internet connection in your gaming console’s settings.

How we test VPNs

A gaming VPN should be secure and have the performance needed to handle the demands of online gaming. As a baseline, every VPN on our best VPNs for gaming list needs to have reasonable speeds, minimize gaming lag, and decent ping results.

Many providers recommended in this list have been subject to in-depth testing and reviews by members of our ZDNET team. We’ve been talking about other VPNs for years, spoken with their management and their users, and developed a generally favorable impression.

ZDNET tests VPN services from multiple locations, but we can’t test them from all locations. Every home, every community, every local ISP, and every nation has a different infrastructure.

We analyzed the best VPNs for gaming below using the following criteria that were most important in helping you make an informed decision:

• Performance: Our top VPNs must have a minimum level of performance. After all, there’s no point in using a VPN if your connection continually drops or lags, making gaming impossible.
• Router support: Many routers don’t make it easy to set up a VPN to cover all your devices. Considering that consoles do not natively support VPN apps, we highlighted the best options for VPN usage beyond a PC or a mobile device.
• Security: There’s no point in using a VPN unless its security protocols and encryption levels are up to scratch. We also ensured the development team behind each recommended VPN cared about making security improvements over time and patching reported bugs.
• Kill switch: A kill switch prevents you from having an unprotected connection. It is an important feature for a VPN, as it protects you by preventing a return to a default Wi-Fi connection should your internet connection unexpectedly drop.
• Geo-blocks and streaming: VPNs can be key to accessing local content and services while you’re away from home. We ensured that our top recommendations performed well considering these factors and are unlikely to slow down your connection while streaming.
• Platforms: What systems and devices can you run the VPN on? Our VPN recommendations have to offer easy-to-use and intuitive apps suitable for various hardware.
• Countries and servers: In how many different countries does the VPN have servers? This can include physical and virtual servers, and whether there are enough – at least 50 or so – to provide variety.
• Trial length and price: Each VPN we recommend has a solid money-back guarantee of at least 30 days.

For a more extensive breakdown, check out our comprehensive VPN testing methodology page .

Choosing the right gaming VPN

Choosing the best gaming VPN will involve hands-on testing. All the VPNs on this list have 30-day money-back guarantees, so you can test out the service for a month and get a full refund if the performance isn’t what you hoped it would be.

Choose this VPN for gaming…	If you want…
ExpressVPN	The best gaming VPN overall. ExpressVPN provides consistent, rapid speeds and offers a variety of server locations.
NordVPN	Top-tier speed and reliability. NordVPN is less expensive than ExpressVPN and only marginally fell behind when used during high-resource gaming.
Surfshark	The most affordable option. While Surfshark doesn’t offer the best speeds, you can connect as many devices as you like and the price point is attractive.
IPVanish	A configurable gaming VPN. IPVanish supports various protocols, including Wireguard, and lets you extensively customize your VPN experience.
Private Internet Access	An open-source, long-term gaming VPN with a security focus. PIA offers unlimited connections at an excellent price point and is open-source, improving security and transparency.

What are the factors to consider when choosing a gaming VPN?

When you are selecting your new gaming VPN, you need to consider the following factors:

• Price: VPN prices vary, and although the most expensive services can cost you upwards of $10 to $20 per month, you can also find solid, reliable VPNs for as little as a few dollars. Keep an eye on renewal rates, as some VPN providers hike prices after introductory periods. Many VPN providers will also give users a free seven-day mobile trial. We recommend that free VPNs be avoided – with a few exceptions – as they may sell your data or bombard you with adverts.
• Simultaneous connections: If you’re paying for a VPN suitable for your PC or gaming console, you might still want to use it across multiple devices, such as on a smartphone. We recommend you sign up for a plan with support for at least six devices. Thankfully, many paid VPN plans now offer at least this, or unlimited connections.
• Streaming: If you intend to use your gaming VPN to stream content on Twitch, for example, ensure that the VPN can accommodate your favorite services. You will need a fast connection that is unlikely to drop halfway through your gaming session.
• Usage length: You need to consider your preferred price point regarding how long you think you will need a VPN. If you’re in it for the long haul, consider a two-year subscription, as you also tend to earn the best prices with the most extended terms. Some VPNs will offer longer options.
• Apps and extensions: When selecting a VPN, you might want to try out its accompanying mobile apps and extensions to ensure you’re getting the most out of your subscription. Some VPNs, for example, have great desktop software but lack in the mobile app department, which may not be as intuitive or easy to use.

Also: The best VPN free trials

What’s the best free or budget VPN for gaming?

We recommend Surfshark as one of the most consistently affordable VPNs for gaming, as it suits a variety of budgets and will not throttle you based on data usage. While the price point is excellent, Surfshark doesn’t always match the speeds of the top VPNs in the market today.

Alternatively, you could try Windscribe’s free plan, which is great in terms of server choice and speed. The downside is that you are limited to 2GB/month unless you agree to various initiatives, such as signing up with your email address.

Which VPN server should I pick while gaming?

The answer to this question will typically depend on the best speeds you can achieve. If you aren’t concerned about your server location, we recommend trying your VPN’s “smart” or automatic connection function first, as it will usually find a server close to you, improving latency and the available speed. If you want to appear as if you’re in a different country, examine your VPN’s available servers and try to find the “fastest” server recommendation.

What are VPN protocols, and which should I pick for gaming?

VPNs use different protocols to manage data transfers between your device and VPN servers.

Wireguard is the best protocol for gaming VPNs, as it generally offers the best speed, with stringent levels of cryptographic protection to keep your connection private. Many of today’s best VPNs support this protocol.

What’s the difference between internet speed and ping time?

Internet speed, often called “bandwidth,” is the speed at which data can be transferred over the internet. If you’re downloading or uploading a big file, you want lots of bandwidth.

Ping time is how fast you can send out a request and receive an answer. It’s the round-trip response time, and it’s very sensitive to distance and hops. When watching a video, you want to get all that video information down to your machine, but once it starts to transmit, it’s usually running at a good, steady flow.

Ping time, however, is how long it takes after you pull the trigger in a game for it to know that you pulled the trigger. If the game thinks you squeezed off a shot half a second after you did, the results could be radically different – and this can be significant, especially for people who game more than casually.

Ping is the travel time between two points, so the ping you might see listed in VPN reviews may not mean much to you. Your two points and the reviewer’s two points will always be different. This is one reason why we haven’t listed ping speeds for these VPNs. It’s more important for you to measure the ping from where you are to where you’re connecting.

How does a VPN protect you when you’re using a game console?

VPNs give you a level of security and privacy. They can protect you against distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which could compromise your connection. A VPN also allows you to connect to servers in different locations.

VPNs protect gaming consoles in the same way they protect your other devices. Unlike simply connecting via a PC or mobile device, a VPN connection with your PlayStation 5 or Xbox can involve a more complicated setup. Gaming consoles don’t support native VPN apps, but you can still get the protections, location spoofing, and anonymity of a VPN.

The key is running your VPN client on a router or sharing a PC’s internet connection and bridging your VPN connection. Most VPN vendors have guides that show you how to set this up.

Can you unlock games with a VPN?

If you’re trying to download an online game early, such as when release times are locked to specific regions – or you want to take advantage of location-based sales and promotions – you might be able to do this if you connect to your VPN before you log in to the platform.

A note of caution, though: platforms like Steam may monitor your account for “consistency” in your location history and take a dim view of such activities, as using a VPN for these purposes is “strictly against the Steam Terms of Service and may result in restrictions on your Steam account.”

Separately, some games are geo-restricted and are unavailable in other countries. You could use a VPN to access them, but you might be shouldering the same risks of account suspension or deletion.

Are there alternative gaming VPNs worth considering?

While we can’t showcase every worthy gaming VPN on the market, we wanted to mention some great alternatives if our top VPNs do not completely suit your needs.

Best free alternative Windscribe You can try out Windscribe’s free plan if you are a casual gamer, and you do not need much bandwidth. View at Windscribe Best alternative for price CyberGhost CyberGhost is a great, budget-friendly alternative that offers excellent speeds and a reasonable server network. View at CyberGhost Best alternative for security ProtonVPN ProtonVPN is a good alternative gaming VPN if you prize security over speed. View at Proton VPN

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